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Surviving the Edge: Real Talk on Depression, Suicide Ideation, and Choosing Life with Lindsay Stadel

Published 7 months, 4 weeks ago
Description

On Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik Chakraborty sits down with Lindsay Stadel  —wife, mom, entrepreneur, and award-winning author—who speaks plainly about depression, alcohol misuse, suicide ideation, and the work of recovery. Lindsay recounts the night everything changed, the decision to seek therapy, tapering off medication under care, and how she now runs four businesses while protecting her mental health. This episode is a direct, stigma-breaking conversation about warning signs, creating safe dialogue, and practical coping mechanisms. If you or someone you love is struggling, this talk models how to ask better questions and get help—without glamorizing harm.

 

About the Guest  :

Lindsay Stadel   is an entrepreneur (four businesses, 13+ employees), award-winning author, and mental-health advocate. After a suicide attempt and years of therapy, she uses lived experience to help others recognize warning signs, seek support, and rebuild with honest conversations and daily choices.

 

Key Takeaways :

  • Suicide ideation often hides behind outward success; watch for contradictions between public image and private behavior.

  • Concrete warning signs can include giving away possessions, social withdrawal, and increased alcohol consumption.

  • Naming suicide directly does not “plant ideas”; silence increases risk—ask specific, compassionate questions about mental state.

  • “What if = fear; Even if = faith”: reframe catastrophic thinking into resilient problem-solving.

  • Recovery is incremental: therapy, the right medication (when needed), tapering under care, and daily coping practices.

  • Family transparency builds early detection; agree on signs to watch for and how to bring them up.

  • Choose your circle: surround yourself with people who support healthy routines and accountability.

  • Success does not erase pain; it requires boundaries, routines, and honest self-check-ins to stay well.

 

If you or someone you know is struggling or thinking about suicide, please know you are not alone.
In the U.S., dial or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, available 24/7.
   

If you’re outside the U.S., please look up the local hotlines in your country or visit https://findahelpline.com/ for international crisis resources.  

 

Connect with the Guest  

 

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